July 3, 2025 #1 Local News, Information and Event Source for the Century City/Westwood areas.

Film Review: The Equalizer 3

FILM REVIEW
THE EQUALIZER 3
Rated R
109 Minutes
Released September 1st

You don’t need to have seen The Equalizer or The Equalizer 2 to appreciate The Equalizer 3. All three movies are an age-old classic heroic tales told in different settings and with different characters, by the same director, Antoine Fuqua, and starring Denzel Washington as an elite ex-special forces commando named “Robert McCall” who is looking for a life of peace, a search that is repeatedly interrupted by innocent people in need of a champion.

The opening sequence in The Equalizer 3 sets the environment with drone footage artfully employed in a gently sweeping view, moving toward a gorgeous, quiet village built into the hills that meet the sea on the Amalfi Coast of Italy, a serene contrast to the chaotic action about to ensue.

The whole movie is finely tuned and visually beautiful. The shoot took place in the actual location of the story, Campania and the Amalfi Coast in Italy. Many of the darker sequences have the depth of old black & white films. The writing matches the style. There are no “hero gets the girl” cliched passages. Everything is implied visually, and dialogue is sparse. Emotions are felt in glances and sounds, and actions speak for themselves.

This is the 5th collaboration between director Fuqua and Washington, starting with Training Day in 2001. Fuqua began his career shooting commercials and music videos. In 1995, Jerry Bruckheimer gave him his big break with a chance to shoot the Coolio music video in Dangerous Minds, which Bruckheimer produced.

Washington has finetuned his character “McCall,” who is a reincarnation of the hero of ancient mythology. He has a flaw – everything around him must be in its place, and timing is controlled down to the instant. This OCD becomes his superpower. This urge for meticulous control gives him an uncanny ability to read the actions that those around him are about to take before they happen. Washington has the rare ability to portray this great everyman hero.

The rest of the cast turn in excellent performances. The villagers are genuine and identifiable. Dakota Fanning portrays an intuitive young CIA agent who masks her insecurity with a learned air of confidence. It turns out she has a link to characters from McCall’s past. Fanning and Washington starred together in Man on Fire 20 years ago when she was around ten years old, and you can feel the friendship between them.

The locales, the camera angles, the lighting, and the flow of the editing come together to make The Equalizer 3 one of the best films of 2023. The story is the classic heroic myth written by scribes and sung by troubadours through the ages. The hero takes on the task, with a superhuman vengeance, of protecting innocents who are trapped helplessly by their abusers against all odds. It’s not a story founded in realism, yet it’s based on the wish that we must make the world a peaceful place where beauty can be appreciated, and fear is nonexistent. The violence the hero encounters and fights seems exaggerated – or is it? Have you watched the news lately?

Kathryn Whitney Boole has spent most of her life in the entertainment industry, which has been the backdrop for remarkable adventures with extraordinary people. She is a Talent Manager with Studio Talent Group in Santa Monica. kboole@gmail.com

Related Posts

405 Crash Near the Getty Sends Three to Hospital: Two Seriously Hurt Near Site Where LAPD Sgt. Died

July 2, 2025

July 2, 2025

Early Morning Multi-Vehicle Collision Shut Down Lanes Near Brentwood Three men were injured and traffic was snarled for hours following...

Elephants Take Over Beverly Hills: Global Art Exhibit Makes Final Stop at Beverly Gardens Park

July 1, 2025

July 1, 2025

Traveling Installation of Life-Size Sculptures Crafted by Indigenous Artisans Arrives in Beverly Hills Life-size sculptures of Indian elephants have arrived...

Pentagon Orders Troop Drawdown in LA: 150 National Guard Members Reassigned to Wildfire Duty

July 1, 2025

July 1, 2025

Federal Forces Begin Partial Withdrawal From Protest Response as California Leaders Push Back U.S. Northern Command announced Tuesday that 150...

California Highway Patrol Deploys for Independence Day Enforcement Surge

July 1, 2025

July 1, 2025

All Available Officers to Hit California Highways for Holiday Weekend As Californians gear up for Fourth of July festivities, the...

Court Postpones Arraignment for Driver in Malibu Crash That Killed Four Students

July 1, 2025

July 1, 2025

Fraser Michael Bohm Faces Murder Charges in Fatal PCH Wreck  The arraignment for Fraser Michael Bohm, the 23-year-old man accused...

(Video) Los Angeles County Supervisor from the 2nd district, Holly J. Mitchel, Gives a Powerful Speech

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

Supervisor Mitchell Called on Residents to take action at the rally for Ambrocio “Enrique” Lozano in Culver City.

Top Military Commander Urges Return of Troops Deployed to ICE Protest Response

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

General Requests 200 National Guard Soldiers Be Returned to California Wildfire Unit The senior U.S. military officer overseeing federal forces...

Second Victim Killed Alongside LAPD Sergeant in Brentwood 405 Crash Identified

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

Authorities Confirm Garcia, 34, Died at the Scene, GoFundMe Launched  Authorities have identified the civilian who was killed alongside a...

The Westside Lights Up for July 4: Fireworks, Drone Shows, and Parades Return Across West Los Angeles

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

From Marina Del Rey’s Fireworks to Culver City’s 1980s-Themed Drone Show, Get Ready to Celebrate From fireworks over Marina del...

Historic Sawtelle Nursery Site Could Become 40-Unit Townhome Complex

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

Sawtelle Continues to Change as Nursery Site Faces Redevelopment Plans have been submitted to redevelop a nursery site, F.K. Nursery,...

California Judge Rules FAIR Plan’s Smoke Damage Policy Unlawful

June 29, 2025

June 29, 2025

Court Says Wildfire Insurance Program Illegally Denied Claims Legal protections for California homeowners took a step forward this week after...

(Video) Culver City Residents and City and County Leaders Rally for Disappeared Ice Cream Man Ambrocio “Enrique” Lozano

June 29, 2025

June 29, 2025

US Representative for California’s 37th Congressional District, Sydney Kamlager-Dove Speaks About What is happening to the disappeared.

Drake Slashes Price on Beverly Hills Estate to $79 Million Amid Market Slowdown

June 29, 2025

June 29, 2025

Price Cut Adds to a Broader Retreat From His Los Angeles Real Estate Holdings. Musician Drake has reduced the price...

Iranian Pastor in West L.A. Speaks as Church Rocked by Immigration Raids 

June 28, 2025

June 28, 2025

Five Detained as Fear Spreads Through Persian Christian Faith Community  Fear has spread through a West Los Angeles congregation after...

Overdose Deaths Drop 22% in Los Angeles County, Marking Largest Decline on Record

June 28, 2025

June 28, 2025

Fentanyl Fatalities Fell 37% as County Ramps up Funding for Prevention, Treatment Drug overdose deaths in Los Angeles County declined...